when it rains -- love it, hate it.

It's raining again. I'm not surprised; it is, after all, the only other season we have apart from the summer. I should get used to it, but I just can't.

I wonder if the rains were always this way. It just never seems to rain the same way twice (to borrow a bit from an old song about love). It's weird now, because (generally, at least) we get some sunshine in the morning till after lunch, then the dark clouds start making their entrance . Then it gets so hard to breathe, the air being so humid. A few rumbles of thunder, the rush of some (and I mean some) cool air, then it starts. It either all just comes crashing down, like someone emptying a heavy bucket of water, or it plays a little rhythmic beat, doing crescendos and suddenly going all quiet with just a bit of dainty spraying.

So everyday, we get a bit of sunshine, and then a bit of the rains, sometimes even floods. Then night time is anybody's guess. It is better than rain all day and all night for weeks.

It has it's purpose and I appreciate how it complements and balances our lives here in this planet. Still, as much as it's been part of my life, I just haven't been able to have just as much as a constant feeling toward it. I love it... and at times, I really can't find anything to like about it at all.



Today, I definitely am going with the latter. I am so uncomfortably sticky, have this really bad headache, and feel really gloomy. It's not always my sentiment. Rain has had it's moments in my life, and here are the top 5 reasons I like it when it rains:

1. Playing in the rain. As kids, we used to burst out of the house, with blessings from our parents, and jump, twirl, dance, and just do whatever we want under the refreshing shower from the sky. It had to be a safe type of rain -- no lightning, thunder, strong winds -- and this was mostly during the first rain of summer, but generally there were no rules. Just carefree, exhilarating, giddy type of fun. Those times and emotions were so powerfully happy, the memories can still bring a smile to my face.
2. No school or work. During my school years, strong rains building up to storms always brought the possibility of classes getting canceled. In the car, heading for school during stormy weather, we would cheer for more rains and chant, "no school today!", stopping only to make way for a full minute of silence as we approached the school, fingers crossed, holding our collective breath, and straining our necks and eyes for the blackboard holding the sign that says exactly what we were chanting.
3. Staying indoors. During storms this usually meant you had the license to stay cozied up in bed all day, watch movies or TV shows you normally don't catch, and eat all the comfort food you can get your hands on. Coffee for me, tastes the best when it rains.
   
4. It's wonderful to watch and it ushers in a bright new day. I love the entire orchestration of water falling (try looking straight up at the sky to watch th rain fall) and the way it changes from the sky to when it hits the earth (or ground, or roof, or car window). The sight and sounds are mesmerizing and hypnotic. Yes, even the sight of open multi-colored umbrellas and fab rain jackets/coats.
5. The romance of walking in the rain. When we were still dating, my husband used to try to get me to share this with him. Under the umbrella, or temporary shade of a tree or a canopy, or even a building ledge, the rain isolates you from the rest of the world, even for brief moments. It did get me into the romance bit. For the same reasons, it was also fun to have no option but to brave it out in the rain with your friends. You are actually able to laugh at it all -- being where you are, sometimes attempting to stay dry in vain.

Here are my top i-hate-rain reasons:

1. You get really sticky, then feel all sick when you get wet for sometimes even just a minute.
2. Wet shoes, soaking feet, wet jeans, mud splatters on your calves and ankles. Sneezes, too. When you're not prepared for it -- I mean why dress for rain when the sun's out? -- your clothes and shoes get ruined, and sometimes you're stuck with them an entire day!
   
3. I don't think I was made for this weather. My hair frizzes. I also get a migraine before it rains. Every time, no kidding. That's how I know for sure it will rain. The headaches also stay with me till the rain's gone.
   
4. Everything indoors seems damp, which later brings in mold and mildew. Which brings in allergic rhinitis, a cold, cough. Etc., etc., etc.
5. The flood. The bad traffic. The nasty cab drivers. The brownouts. Cancelled meetings.

But I can't make the rain stop, so might as well enjoy it. Maybe I won't go out and dance in the rain, but I can probably make the most out of having to stay indoors. Where's my coffee?